Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32495732›Full record

ArticlePrimary health care research & development2020

District nurses' use of a decision support and assessment tool to improve the quality and safety of medication use in older adults: a feasibility study.

Annica Lagerin, Lena Lundh, Lena Törnkvist, Johan Fastbom

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Primary health care research & development, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

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4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Annica LagerinSenior lecturer, Department of Health Care Sciences, Ersta Sköndal Bräcke University College, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID 0000-0002-5784-1092
Lena LundhHead of Lifestyle Unit, Academic Primary Health Care Centre, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lena TörnkvistAdjunct Professor of Clinical Primary Care and Nursing Care, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Johan FastbomProfessor of Geriatric Pharmacology, Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet-Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo investigate whether district nurses (DNs) can identify factors related to the quality and safety of medication use among older patients via a clinical decision support system (CDSS) for medication and an instrument for assessing the safety of drug use [the Safe Medication Assessment tool (SMA)]. A secondary aim was to describe patients' experiences of the assessment.

backgroundDNs in Stockholm County have the opportunity to establish special units at primary health care centers (PHCCs) for patients aged 75 years and older. The units conduct drug utilization reviews and create care plans for older adults.

methodsNine DNs at 7 PHCCs in Stockholm County used the tools with 45 patients aged 75 years and older who used one or more drugs. Outcome measures were the number of drugs, potential drug-related problems, nursing interventions, and patient satisfaction. Prevalences of drug-related problems and nursing interventions were calculated. Eleven patients answered a telephone questionnaire on their experiences of the assessment.

findingsDNs identified factors indicative of drug-related problems, including polypharmacy (9.8 drugs per person), potential drug-drug interactions (prevalence 40%), potential adverse drug reactions (2.7 per person), and prescribers from more than two medical units (60%). DNs used several nursing interventions to improve the safety of medication use (e.g., patient education, initiating a pharmaceutical review). The patients thought it was meaningful to receive information about their drug use and important to identify potential drug-related problems. With the support of the CDSS and the SMA tool, the DNs could identify several factors related to inappropriate or unsafe medication and initiated a number of interventions to improve medication use. The patients were positive toward the assessments. Using these tools, the DNs may help promote safe medication use in older patients.

Indexed as

Decision Support Systems, ClinicalNursing StaffPatient SafetyPolypharmacyPrimary Health CareQuality ImprovementAgedAged, 80 and overDrug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesSwedenclinical decision support systemsmedication managementmedication reviewnursing careolder adults

Identifiers

PMID32495732
PMCPMC7303788

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.